Passover, LCE don't stop U. from 'Fling'ing

Passover, the MCATs and the LCE couldn't prevent students from celebrating. The apprehension could almost be felt on campus amid Friday morning's raindrops as students wearily shuffled to their first classes of the day. But the clouds lifted for the majority of the weekend, allowing "Things That Go Fling in the Night" to be held under surprisingly fair weather conditions. The 26th annual Spring Fling festival overcame predictions of inclement weather and a funk-filled concert lineup unfamiliar to most students to become what many deemed a fine weekend. State Liquor Control Enforcement agents, who cited 180 students during the 1996 Spring Fling, were on the prowl, but many students said they did not think about repercussions for underage drinking. One College sophomore who requested anonymity received a quick lesson on Saturday night. "I thought the LCE was on campus before," he said. "But it wasn't until I was being frisked against the wall by the [Sansom Street] block party that I really knew about them." But while some students were cited for underage drinking, other LCE agents took a more relaxed attitude. The student explained that the agents who confronted him about the open cans of beer he was holding failed to give him a citation because "they didn't have a pen." An exact count of LCE citations was not available yesterday, though a University Police official said there were no citations Friday and "a few" Saturday. Meanwhile, the Quadrangle bustled with several thousand people from Penn and other colleges who enjoyed the moderately warm weather, carnival games and musical acts ranging from ska to hip-hop to a cappella. And despite vandalism to some areas, most activities ran smoothly in the Quad, said Wharton and Engineering junior Seema Singh, one of three Fling directors. Singh refused to comment on the nature of the damage. In the Quad, like the rest of campus, officials took steps to limit alcohol consumption. Security guards searched students for alcohol, water bottles or juice containers as they entered the gates. But students, including many freshmen, overcame such measures by buying alcohol weeks before Fling or smuggling bottles through the fence by the "nipple" in Upper Quad. "Sneaking in alcohol was the norm and not the exception," College freshman Gina LaPlaca said. "If people want to drink, they are going to do it anyway." LaPlaca added that while she expected "a lot of chaos" at her first Fling, she was surprised that students from "known party schools" ventured to the University for the festivities. Many Penn students, however, did not participate in all the activities because of religious or pre-professional obligations. The Medical College Admission Test, given Saturday in the David Rittenhouse Laboratory, prevented some students from going to the weekend's fraternity house and block parties. "I basically banned myself from Fling," College junior Jaime Blank said. "But right after the MCATs, I went crazy and celebrated." Other students spent the night in the Sheraton or Divine Tracy hotels to relax before the exam and avoid the loud campus scene. Some religious Jews also migrated off campus to celebrate the end of Passover, which finished Saturday at sunset. Others chose to drink kosher-for-Passover wine instead of beer, which is not kosher for Passover because it contains grain. But since Jews who observe the Sabbath already face many restrictions on their Friday night and Saturday activities, many said their Flings were not affected more this year because of the holiday. "Honestly, [Passover] didn't conflict at all with Fling," Engineering sophomore Craig Englander said. "It happens every year on a Saturday anyway, and if people really want to drink, where there's a will, there's a way." Those not under restrictions followed their daytime Quad experiences with a night of fraternity and block parties on Sansom and Pine streets and Baltimore Avenue. Overcrowding at some fraternities caused many partygoers to venture onto Locust Walk and into the streets, which enhanced block-party attendance. "I avoided the frats because the lines were too long," Wharton sophomore Lloyd Rosenman said. "I didn't feel like being squeezed against the wall, even though the parties were probably fun." College junior Christopher Page, whose band "Eight Ball Spy" played the Sansom block party Saturday night, said "it was cool to play for an audience that big" as opposed to the smaller group of spectators he encountered during his noon slot in the Quad. The next late-night stop for many hungry students was the Class of 1920 Dining Commons. The students battled long lines to enjoy a 1:30 a.m. pancake breakfast organized by Vice Provost for University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum, Director of Police Operations Maureen Rush and several student leaders.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.